Conservative Values

February 17, 2014

Did you ever notice when the Republicans--Tea Party people-- state their core believes, they say they believe in traditional values, low taxes, and limited government. But they never give details about those core beliefs. So let's try to parse them, break them down a bit with a few questions:

1. Traditional Values:

Should the Government be allowed in your bedroom? (It seems the Republicans want to control women over the use of birth control. By the way abortions are way down because of birth control.)

Should same sex partners be allowed to get married? (The Defense of Marriage Act has been ruled unconstitutional by the Supreme Court, and many states have approved of same sex marriage.)

2. Low Taxes:

Should the richest people of all time have the lowest effective taxes of all time? (85 people control 50 percent of the world's wealth. The wealthy use tax lawyers and offshore parking of income to keep taxes way below everyday people. Remember Mitt Romney.)

Should America's infrastructure be worse than many third world countries? (The USA ranks 25th in infrastructure as our roads, bridges, airports, parks, schools, etc. are in deplorable shape.)

Should we spend money to cure unemployment? (Structural, long term, unemployment is the highest since the great Depression.)

3. Limited Government:

Should we cut the Government way back? (How so? Is it this 90 percent plus of the government: the military, Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, the FBI and CIA, National Institute of Health where we should look to cut or eliminate? Consider Medicaid, where a great deal of the costs are to pay for people in nursing homes who have already gone poor spending their assets on their medical care.)

Should we cut Clean Air and Water enforcement? (Tell that to the people of Charleston?)

Should we cut these and many other meaningful programs--such as the Affordable Care Act--of a rich and civilized society? (No, I don't think so.)

I could go on and on as to why I disagree so strongly with the conservatives about our government and the need for a continued progressive approach to our government, which I have served in the military and as an elected official.